Type

Details

First Appearance

Voice Actor

The Omnimatrix, better known as the Omnitrix, was a watch-like device that attached to Ben Tennyson's wrist in the first episode of the series, and is one of the devices that the franchise revolves around. The device allowed whoever wore it to alter their DNA at will, and transform into dozens of different alien species, each with their own unique abilities.

The Omnitrix was created by Azmuth as a tool of peace in an act of repentance following the destruction caused by his previous creation, Ascalon, a weapon of terrible power.

The Omnitrix had a three-fold purpose:

It would promote inter-species understanding by allowing other beings to experience different ways of life.

It would serve as a repository for the DNA of over a million different intelligent species, preserving them in the event that any of them should ever become extinct and bring them back.

Secretly, Azmuth had another reason for creating the Omnitrix: he hoped that his estranged lover Zennith, who had left him as he created Ascalon, would learn of his change and come back to him.

Contents

Appearance

In the first form that Ben encountered, the Omnitrix looked like a very big wristwatch, primarily black and grey in color, with a grey (or black) dial in the middle (like a watch face) which has a green hourglass shape (the intergalactic "peace" symbol, also on Plumber's Badges and Galvan Prime) on it. When Ben selects his aliens it shows the alien's silhouette.

The prototype Omnitrix (before recalibration) in Omniverse looks the same as how it was in the Original Series. However, whenever Ben transforms into an alien form, the colors of the Omnitrix symbol that is located on the alien form have been changed from white and grey to green and black, due to the removal of the scratchguard.

When it recalibrated, the Omnitrix gained a more watch-like shape, a green wristband, became smaller and sleeker, and the face dial became black and green. The inside of the hourglass shape glowed in different colors at certain moments. These colors signify the mode that the Omnitrix was presently in. When Ben is selecting his aliens it shows the alien's hologram standing on the core rather than the alien's silhouette.

Modes

Active Mode

Active Mode is the Omnitrix's default mode. Actual usage time is unknown (about 10–20 minutes). The Omnitrix seems to time out sooner if it's taxed by activities with a lot of moving, like fighting. However, if regular transformations are tampered with, the user can't always turn back. After the Omnitrix recalibrated, the symbols on the aliens were also of the green color, and located on their chests (Dwayne McDuffie said this was because the Omnitrix was working properly, but Derrick J. Wyatt later said that this was rather a glitch).

Recharge Mode

When the Omnitrix times out, it goes into Recharge Mode. It takes around 5 minutes to recharge, though it may take more time if tampered with. Recharge Mode's main purpose is to keep the Omnitrix from damaging the user. The Omnitrix is powered by a special self-renewable power supply that will long outlive Ben.

The Omnitrix can instantly recharge to protect the user from direct physical threat. This was shown when Ben was stuck to a wall about to be killed by Kevin 11 and when Zs'Skayr tried to possess Ben. Both times, despite just timing out within a minute earlier, the Omnitrix recharges instantly when the user's life is put in direct threat. This feature was switched off after the recalibration.

If the user is knocked out or hurt enough, the Omnitrix will revert them to their normal form.

The recalibrated Omnitrix times out with no warning due to the warning being switched off when the Omnitrix recalibrated. In War of the Worlds: Part 2, the Omnitrix had reset, turning the time out warning feature back on.

The hourglass, when recharging, also flashes red instead of remaining a solid red as it had when the Omnitrix was in its original form.

Capture Mode

When a new DNA sample has been unlocked from the Codon Stream (it identifies the DNA on Primus, then unlocks that DNA), or when the Omnitrix captures new DNA not present in the Codon Stream. Can also reclaim lost or removed alien DNA that was in the Codon Stream.

Unlike in the original series, the Omnitrix in Alien Force would not scan by touch (due to its recalibration).

Self-Destruct Mode

In Self-Destruct Mode, the Omnitrix charges energy while counting down until it explodes. S.D.M. functions as a last resort should the Omnitrix fall into the wrong hands. It can be activated by Voice Command.

When in S.D.M. for a few days, the Omnitrix can charge enough energy to cause an energy ripple that will destroy the entire universe.

In the original series while the Omnitrix was in S.D.M. it sent out bursts of energy that threw Ben through the air.

When the S.D.M. is activated, the Omnitrix sends out a signal that any ship can pick up (unless it was activated by Voice Command), such as when Vilgax picked it up with a stolen ship and Tetrax picked up the signal, likely as a distress signal.

The S.D.M was used and successfully triggered in The Final Battle: Part 2, in an attempt to force Vilgax to give it to Ben, although he refused. It only destroyed itself, and not the universe, because it was charged for only 30 seconds (as opposed to a few days).

Recalibration Mode

Recalibration Mode (Original Omnitrix)

The Omnitrix begins to recalibrate while selecting a set of new aliens.

The Omnitrix makes a beep-like noise, then it changes to a glowing black and green and morphs into its new shape. It is unknown how Recalibration Mode is activated.

The Omnitrix has hundreds of different forms (this is to fit different users).[1]

Features

General

The Omnitrix mainly allowed for the user to transform into a numerous variety of alien life-forms that are each with their own unique powers and abilities (along with their weaknesses) and in a selection of alien DNA that are in groups of 10.

Display Modes

By changing the settings on the Omnitrix, either display modes could have been used with either Omnitrix form.

Clothing

The Omnitrix could alter the clothing of the wearer to better fit the alien forms and could even create different types of clothing and accessories, colored white and black, to accommodate the alien form's anatomy.

Ben lost this function when the Omnitrix recalibrated.

During Alien Force, nanomachines broke them down and stored them until the transformation ends.

Allocation

When the user was transformed, an Omnitrix symbol appeared on the chest. The symbol was actually the Omnitrix itself, appearing in this form because many species don't have wrists.

The Omnitrix was in the center of the chest area on every alien in Alien Force is for easy access. The symbol was put in different places on some aliens in the original series which was a side effect of the Omnitrix not working properly. (Though it was later revealed to be the other way round, with the limited positioning of the Omnitrix being a glitch of the Omnitrix.)

Trivia

The Omnitrix was originally intended for Max and was programmed to work for his DNA, because Ben is Max's grandson, the close genetic match is what allowed him to use it.

Ben feels that he is somebody else when he transforms into an alien.

The Omnitrix's voice-activated self-destruct sequence is the same code from "Star Trek III: The Search for Spock" that James T. Kirk used to activate the Enterprise's one minute self-destruct sequence (000 destruct-0).